This Citrus Kombucha is sweet and tart with grapefruit, orange, lemon, and lime juices. Sweetened with maple syrup for added sweetness.
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Made with four different citrus fruits, this Citrus Kombucha is a sweet, tart, bubbly drink. Freshly squeezed orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime make this homemade kombucha light and refreshing.
It's sweetened with maple syrup to balance out the tartness of the citrus fruits.
Some other drinks I've made with citrus fruits are a Strawberry Limeade recipe, an Orange Mocktail Mojito, and a Grapefruit Basil Mojito.
For a healthy breakfast recipe with oranges try an Orange Creamsicle Chia Pudding.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- Made with four different citrus fruits, it is sweet and refreshing.
- It's a great alternative to soda.
- It is cheaper than store-bought kombucha and you get to control the ingredients.
Two Types of Fermentation
The first fermentation of kombucha is when you combine sweetened tea, a kombucha scoby, and some starter tea. You let it ferment for 7-21 days and the result is uncarbonated unflavored kombucha.
For the second fermentation, you remove the scoby and take that kombucha you made in the first fermentation and add flavor. You let it ferment for another 3-5 days in sealed bottles. The result is a fizzy-flavored drink.
You can ferment the flavored kombucha for up to 14 days. It all depends on the amount of sugar content in the flavor you're adding, and the temperature of the room.
Warmer temperatures will cause faster fermentation, and higher sugar content will also speed up fermentation.
What Makes Kombucha Fizzy?
The second fermentation is when kombucha gets fizzy. By putting it into a sealed container at room temperature and adding a sugar source (fruit and/or sweetener), carbon dioxide builds.
🧾 Ingredients
- Homemade kombucha: You'll need freshly made kombucha that has not been refrigerated yet.
- Orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and lime juice: I used freshly squeezed citrus juices. You could also use. store-bought orange juice and grapefruit juice. I do not recommend using store-bought lemon or lime juice because I don't know how the preservatives react with kombucha. Another kombucha recipe with citrus juice is my Orange Kombucha recipe.
- Maple syrup: Adds sweetness. You could also use agave syrup or simple syrup.
To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥣 Supplies
- Funnel
- 4 (25 ounce) bottles with flip-top lids
- Measuring cup
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Juice oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. Strain the pulp.
Pour 2 tablespoons of orange juice into each bottle.
Step 2: Pour 2 tablespoons of grapefruit juice into each bottle.
Step 3: Pour 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into each bottle.
Step 4: Pour 2 tablespoons of lime juice into each bottle.
Step 5: Pour ¼ cup maple syrup into each bottle.
Step 6: Pour your freshly fermented homemade kombucha into the bottles, leaving 1-2" head space. Let sit 3-5 days.
Step 7: Pop open the lids at least once a day. Pressure builds, and this allows it to escape.
Should I Burp My Second Ferment Kombucha?
Yes! If you don't you could have a mess. By adding sugar to the homemade kombucha and fermenting it a second time in bottles with swing-top lids, you're creating an environment for carbonation. If you don't allow it to escape, you'll have kombucha all over your kitchen.
How Long Does It Take To Get Fizzy Kombucha?
It can take anywhere from 1-14 days. It depends on a few things.
- It depends on how much sugar you have in the kombucha. (Sugar in the form of fruit and/or sweetener.) The more sugar, the faster you'll get carbonation.
- It also depends on the weather. Warmer temperature = faster carbonation. I've had bubbly kombucha after a day in summer months and bubbly kombucha after a week in colder months.
💭 Tips
- Shake the bottle before pouring a glassful.
- You can substitute the maple syrup with agave syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, or another sweetener.
- Refrigerate after the kombucha is done fermenting.
5 Secrets To Making Kombucha
Kombucha just got easier!
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🥃 Other Kombucha Recipes
🌟Need a new kombucha scoby? I love to buy my scobys from Fermentaholics. They're inexpensive and my kombucha comes out great every time.
If you tried this Citrus Kombucha Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how you like it in the 💬 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📋 Recipe
Citrus Kombucha
Equipment
- 4 (25 ounce) bottles with flip top lids or other air tight bottles
- Funnel
- Measuring cup
Ingredients
- 12 cups homemade kombucha
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup grapefruit juice
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Juice oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes and strain pulp.
- Line up 4 (25 ounce) bottles with flip top lids or other air tight bottles.
- Pour 2 tablespoons orange juice, 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and ¼ cup maple syrup into each 25 ounce bottle.
- Using a funnel, pour freshly made homemade kombucha into each 25 ounce bottle leaving 1-2" head space.
- Let bottles sit out (at 75° - 85°) 3-5 days, making sure to pop the lids each day to let out the pressure of the carbon dioxide. Taste each day to test its flavor and fizziness.
Notes
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Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
Rhonda says
Hi,
I tried this recipe and after a full week have no carbonation. I'm not new to making kombucha and have never had this happen before. The other portion of my 1st fermentation went into bottles with ginger and berries and is every bit as fizzy as usual. They were stored in the same location & used the same bottles I always use. The flavor is great, it's just flat. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions? Does the citrus fruit affect the speed of the 2nd fermentation?
Willow Moon says
Did you add the maple syrup in the recipe as well? The maple syrup would add the needed sugar if your citrus wasn’t sweet enough. If you did add it is probably because your citrus wasn’t sweet enough. You may need to let it ferment even longer. Did you use flip-top bottles?
Rhonda says
Yes, I did add the maple syrup. And I do use flip top bottles.